Various apparatuses and processes have already been made available for producing a photopolymer plate having relief image areas using a photosensitive material, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,998, which describes apparatus which automatically produces a photopolymer plate by moving back and forth with respect to the image bearing transparency. The instant invention provides an improvement over said apparatus by providing a movable carriage which transverses an image bearing transparency in one direction and automatically in one pass lays down a protective cover film over said transparency and automatically severs said protective film after traversing said transparency and upon reversal of said carriage doctors photopolymer and rolls a backing sheet thereon for purposes of making a plate. The novel apparatus of the instant invention provides unique means for applying a protective cover film from a continuous roll over any flat surface, whether for the purpose of protecting a transparency or for any other purpose in which it is highly desirable to have wrinkle-free automatic film application in one pass.